Community services director Pauline Gordon said they would "absolutely” transition the event back to community control if the desire was there.

Gympie Gold Rush parade 2016.LEEROY TODD

"We'll continue to do this until people say they want to run it,” she said.

However Cr Glen Hartwig asked if there was a plan to drive that and avoid people taking it for granted.

"People might assume the council will continue to run it,” Cr Hartwig said. "We'll be stuck with it for a very long time.”

Mayor Mick Curran agreed the council did not want to be put in a position where it was eventually running fishing competitions or organising rugby league games.

But there was no denying the council's willingness to step in was crucial.

"If we didn't step in (last year) it wouldn't have happened,” he said.

Gold Rush, Jayden Hausknecht.LEEROY TODD

The council unanimously agreed to open the ideas for this year's event to public feedback.

Deputy Mayor Bob Leitch said this would be the best barometer for what direction the event takes in the future.

"They (residents) need to tell us what they actually want out of it,” he said.

This year's plan is for the event to run over three days - Friday, October 18, to Sunday, October 20.

This includes moving the parade from its traditional 3pm Saturday timeslot to Friday evening. In the future the hope is to transform the event into a celebration of the city's heritage as the town that saved Queensland, and create a festival that draws people from across the region.